The award-winning habilitation thesis was completed at the Sales and Marketing Department.

The Roman Herzog Institute (RHI) in Munich presented the Roman Herzog Research Prize for Social Market Economy 2018 to four young scientists in Munich today. Among the prize-winners was the business economist Prof. Dr. Laura Marie Edinger-Schons, holder of the Chair for Corporate Social Responsibility at the University of Mannheim.

The Roman Herzog Research Prize is one of the best endowed awards in the field of economics and social sciences. The Bavarian Industry Association (vbw), „Vereinigung der Bayerischen Wirtschaft e. V.“, promotes and supports the Roman Herzog Research Prize for Social Market Economy, which was awarded for the fifth time. The festive awards ceremony was organized by the Chairman of RHI, Prof. Randolf Rodenstock, vbw President Alfred Gaffal and Prof. Dr. Christoph M. Schmidt, President of RWI, Holder of the Chair of Economic Policy and Applied Econometrics at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum and Chairman of the German Council of Economic Experts.

Prof. Dr. Laura Marie Edinger-Schons, who completed her work at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, was awarded with one of two third prizes for her work. In her habilitation thesis “Essays on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Marketing” she discusses questions of corporate responsibility and examines how companies can meet the expectations of their stakeholders. RHI will support her further research work with prize money of 5,000 euros. The social market economy is repeatedly and controversially debated in Germany, the country in which it originated. On the one hand it is thought to be outdated whereas on the other hand it is deemed to be capable of reform. Fact is,the social market economy forms the basis for prosperity, employment, competition, responsibility and social participation according to Prof. Randolf Rodenstock. In his opinion the social market economy is facing major challenges. To solve the problems we are confronted with we must have the courage to change our way of thinking. This year’s award-winning papers highlight the complex set of challenges posed by our changed economy and also identify necessary measures that ought to be taken.